Intravenous Infusions of Sulfated Insulin Normalize Plasma Glucose Levels in Pancreatectomized Dogs

Sulfated insulin (SI) differs radically from regular crystalline zinc insulin (CZI). To date, SI has been used mainly for the subcutaneous treatment of diabetics with resistance or local allergic reactions to CZI. In this regard, SI exists as a soluble monomer at pH 7.4 and is not inclined to self-association even when agitated and exposed for long periods to materials known to aggregate CZI. To compare its stability and biologic activity when used in conjunction with intravenous infusion pumps, diabetic dogs were infused portally for 140 days with SI and for 140 days with CZI. These studies demonstrated a significant improvement of glycemie control obtainable with SI compared with CZI. Mean ± SD fasting glycemias were normalized for the SI group (99 ± 19 mg/dl) and were significantly (P 1 , the former resulted in mean ± SD plasma levels of 14 ± 7 μU/ml and the latter resulted in concentrations of 47 ± 12 μU/ml. Insulin clearance rates were 28 ± 11 ml/kg/min with CZI compared with 5 ± 3 ml/kg/min with SI (P